Absorbent articles for personal hygiene are designed to absorb and contain bodily exudates (e.g., urine, bowel movements “BM”). These absorbent articles may comprise several layers providing different functions, for example, a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, among other layers.
The function of the absorbent core is to absorb and retain the bodily exudates for a prolonged amount of time, for example, overnight for a diaper, minimize re-wet to keep the wearer dry, and avoid soiling of clothes or bed sheets. Some currently marketed absorbent articles comprise absorbent cores comprising an absorbent material which is a blend of comminuted wood pulp (i.e., airfelt) with superabsorbent polymers (“SAP”) in particulate form, also known as absorbent gelling materials (“AGM”). Other absorbent articles have an absorbent core consisting essentially of SAP as the absorbent material and one or more hotmelt adhesives (so called “airfelt-free” cores).
Absorbent articles may also comprise a liquid management system (“LMS”) that may have an acquisition layer and/or a distribution layer. Some absorbent articles may comprise leg cuffs and waist bands which provide improved containment of liquids and other bodily exudates. Usually, each leg cuff comprises one or more elastic strands or elements comprised in the chassis of the diaper, for example, between the topsheet and backsheet in the area of the leg openings to provide an effective seal while the absorbent article is in use. These elasticized elements which may be substantially planar with the chassis of the absorbent article will be referred to herein as gasketing cuffs. It is also usual for the leg cuffs to comprise raised elasticized flaps, herein referred to as barrier leg cuffs, which improve the containment of fluid in the leg-torso joint regions.
Absorbent articles, such as diapers (taped or pants) or adult incontinence products, appear to have a shortcoming in their topsheets and/or their LMS in that the front and back regions, or other regions, are not specifically designed for their intended use in either function or appearance. Most commercial diapers or adult incontinence products include topsheets and/or acquisition layers that have zero features (regular nonwoven material) or one feature, such as apertures or embossments, for example, throughout the entire topsheet or LMS. The embossments or apertures are typically the same size and shape (same appearance as well) in the front and the back regions and, therefore, do not provide specific configurations for urine management compared to BM management or do not provide specific configurations that give the appearance of urine management compared to the appearance of BM management. This can be problematic in that urine management should be treated much differently than BM management to achieve an improved diaper owing to the fact that BM and urine have significant differences in rheology and solids content. It is not a one-size-fits-all situation. In view of the foregoing, topsheets and/or LMSs of absorbent articles should be improved to provide more zonal treatments or features that handle, or give the appearance of handling, urine management and BM management differently.
In addition to the above, typical absorbent articles need improved systems of handling bodily exudates once the bodily exudates are received by the topsheet. In general, some absorbent articles acquire bodily exudates too quickly or too slowly and other absorbent articles may leak because of the bodily exudates not be absorbed, or fully or properly absorbed, into the core. As such, it may be beneficial for topsheets and/or LMSs to have features that direct or alter (e.g., slow, hasten, restrict, channel) the flow of bodily exudates into, over, and/or through the topsheets and/or LMSs. This may be desirable to achieve better bodily exudate (e.g., urine) distribution into an absorbent core, for example. As a further example, this may further be desirable to achieve reduced leakage by maintaining the bodily exudates over a portion of the absorbent core for a suitable period of time so that they can be fully and properly absorbed by the core. In view of the foregoing, topsheets or LMSs should be improved to provide for better bodily exudate management.